Lounge Review: United Polaris Lounge Washington (IAD)

I visited the Polaris lounge in February 2023 before my United Airlines business class flight from Washington (IAD) to Frankfurt (FRA). I thought this premium lounge, which opened in late 2021, was a great way to spend a few hours before my flight.

United Polaris Lounge Washington (IAD) Location and Hours

The United Polaris lounge is located in Concourse C near gate C17 and across from the United Club, and it can be identified by the entry sign.

At the time of writing, lounge hours were 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

United Polaris Lounge Access and Entry Requirements

The Polaris lounge has fairly strict access requirements. Access generally is limited to United and Star Alliance business- or first-class passengers on long-haul international flights, which includes flights to Europe or Asia, but excludes domestic, Caribbean or Mexico flights. It’s not possible to access the lounge through lounge membership programs, specific credit cards, airline elite status or paid entry. More specifically, access to the Polaris lounge is provided to:

• Passengers traveling in United Polaris long-haul international business class: Access is permitted at departure, connecting and arrival airports on the day of the international flight. No guests are allowed.
• Passengers traveling in long-haul international first class on a Star Alliance member airline: Access for the passenger and one guest is permitted at the departure airport for their international first-class flight only.
• Passengers traveling in long-haul international business class on a Star Alliance member airline: Access for the passenger is permitted at the departure airport for their international business class flight only. No guests are allowed.

United Polaris Lounge Layout and Amenities

The United Polaris lounge at Washington (IAD) is a large (approximately 21,000 square feet) lounge with multiple seating areas and amenities. The Washington Polaris lounge is midsize—larger than the Polaris lounges in Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston but smaller than the lounges in Newark and San Francisco.

As you enter from the terminal, there is a desk where I showed the agent my boarding pass and identification and was admitted to the lounge.
Near the lounge entrance, there is artwork depicting the U.S. Capitol Building, with a directional sign to the side. The local themed artwork is a nice touch that makes this beautiful and modern lounge also feel somewhat unique.

The lounge flow is good, striking a balance between feeling open and spacious while having specific seating areas focused on dining, working, relaxing and socializing. The lighting and other details throughout the lounge are upscale and also contribute to the ambiance of the lounge, rather than making it feel like a cookie cutter airport lounge.

One of the seating areas is called The Library and is decorated to create a library or study atmosphere. This area, in the background in the photograph, is adjacent to the open center seating section in front of the bar.

If you’re standing directly in front of the bar and looking toward the center of the lounge, there is more seating on sofas with small tables as well as some lounge chairs.

Another seating area includes chairs with cocktail and side tables and some partitioned areas that would be good for doing work.

The lounge also has an area with tables conducive to eating, with a great view of the runway.

The lounge also has more private spaces, including telephone and nap rooms.

Other features of the lounge include private shower rooms and private bathrooms. Rather than having gender-specific bathrooms, the Polaris lounge has an entire hallway with individual bathrooms, each containing a toilet and a sink. Even the hallway is decorated, with glittering stars on the ceiling.

From the time I arrived at the lounge around 4:30 p.m. until people left the lounge for early international flights beginning around 6:00 p.m., the lounge was busy, but I would estimate it was under 25% of capacity. It wasn’t difficult to find a seat, and I had a table for four to myself with some unoccupied tables in the area I was sitting.

The lounge was almost empty for a couple of hours beginning around 5:30 p.m. and got a little busier again as people arrived for the later evening flights.

The lounge seemed more adult-focused to me. I didn’t see any amenities specific to children, such as a playroom. Food options also seemed to cater more to an adult’s taste, although there certainly were items available that many children would eat.

Food and Beverage at United Polaris Lounge

The lounge offers both a buffet and a restaurant option. At the restaurant, guests place orders and are served at their table. I looked at the restaurant menu and the dining room area, but I didn’t eat there.

The restaurant area was attractive and had more artwork featuring Washington attractions. In addition to the center section of tables pictured, there were tables along both sides.

I had some food from the buffet during my visit. While some items seemed fresh, others seemed like they had been sitting out too long. I was happy with the choices and freshness of items to make a salad, but some of the hot food items I tried later were barely warm, and the noodles were dry. I also didn’t think some buffet items were replenished as frequently as I would have expected at an upscale lounge.

Considering the restaurant menu, some of the items on the buffet and the dinner served on my flight, I thought that United was trying to create an upscale image for Polaris dining, but some of the food combinations seemed strange or were poorly executed. I prefer simpler food that is well-executed to more gourmet style dishes that miss.

The Polaris lounge didn’t offer options for taking food out of the lounge.

There were self-serve non-alcoholic beverage and snack stations in the lounge. Snacks included whole fruit and large containers with trail mix, pretzels and wasabi-covered peas. Cold beverages included bottled water, canned soft drinks and ice tea. Hot beverages included brewed coffee, hot water with tea bags and machines to make customized hot drinks.

There was one large bar in the lounge that was staffed by bartenders. The bar was beautiful and had a large selection of beverages. I’m not knowledgeable about expensive, premium liquor, but I’m assuming the lounge had some. A friend mentioned having an expensive sparkling wine when she was at another Polaris lounge.

I had a glass of wine and was impressed with the selection and the helpful and friendly attitude of the bartender. I was surprised to have a choice among three different types of Pinot Noir, and the bartender made a helpful recommendation.

Time Spent at United Polaris Lounge

I spent about four hours in the lounge and would have been fine spending a couple of more hours here if faced with a longer layover. No matter how nice a lounge is, if I have a really long connection, I like to leave the airport, assuming the weather is good and there is something to do nearby or via convenient public transportation. The Washington metropolitan area metro (subway) system station at the airport opened in late 2022, making it easier to travel to nearby areas in Virginia or Washington, D.C. on a layover.

The ideal amount of time to spend at this lounge varies by person and situation. My thoughts are:

• If originating in the Washington area for a flight with dinner service, I would plan on one to two hours at the Polaris lounge.
• If originating elsewhere and connecting at Washington (IAD), I would plan between two and six hours in the lounge depending on plans to eat in the restaurant, use a nap room, use a shower room and do some work.
• If connecting overnight or much longer than six hours (unless planning to work from the lounge), I would leave the airport. The Polaris lounge is closed overnight.

Final Thoughts About United Polaris Lounge Washington (IAD)

The Polaris lounge was comfortable and relaxing, and I would rate it as the nicest lounge I have visited at Washington (IAD) and probably among the best in the United States. As background, I haven’t visited any Centurion lounges or other United Polaris lounges. I have visited two Capital One Lounges and some American Airlines Flagship lounges, but the Flagship lounge visits were several years ago.

As a general rule, the nicest lounges in international airports often are those operated by the airline(s) that have a hub or large presence there. This is the case with United and the Polaris lounge at Washington (IAD). I live in the Washington, D.C. area and have visited several lounges at Dulles over the years. If I had access to the Polaris lounge, it would be my first choice.

If I had multiple hours at the airport, it might be fun to lounge hop and check out some other lounges. The Capital One lounge at Washington (IAD) opened after my trip to Asia. As a Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card holder and an originating passenger, the Capital One lounge would be my first stop on future trips, since it’s located right after the security checkpoint.

Two options that United or other Star Alliance business-class passengers would have access to are:

• Turkish Airlines lounge: This had been my favorite lounge at Dulles before the Capital One lounge opened, but it’s relatively small and often gets crowded. During my last visit in December 2022, the food options were diminished compared to what was available before the pandemic.
• Lufthansa lounge: I haven’t visited this lounge in many years, but when I last visited prior to an overnight flight to Europe, I found the food offerings limited and the lounge itself generally nice but nothing special.

I enjoyed the time I spent in the Polaris lounge, especially during the period between early and later evening flights to Europe, when the lounge was almost empty. Overall, I thought the ambiance, design and facilities at the Polaris lounge were excellent. Service in the main lounge area was appropriate, and the staff members I interacted with were friendly. While the food I ate didn’t wow me, it was good enough. The bar was impressive.

This article is part of a larger Trip Report on Southeast Asia, where you can learn about flights, lounges and hotels along the route from the U.S. to Southeast Asia.